Impossible Odds
by heymrsunshine
Summary: The Hunger Games with a Joniss twist.
1. Odds

**Author's note: This is my first attempt at writing fanfic, constructive feedback appreciated. There will be a lot of similarities with the book, especially near the beginning, but it will hopefully be original enough to keep it entertaining. Also I do not have a Beta so if you are interested please PM me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, just playing around with it for a while.**

**Story note: For the purposes of this story I am changing the rules for tributes a bit - blood relatives are allowed to volunteer for each other regardless of gender. Also the boys are picked first. Can you see where this is headed?**

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><p>"Carter Mason"<p>

Effie Trinket's voice carries across the crowd gathered for the reaping, heads turning towards the back where Carter is standing among the other thirteen year-olds from District 12. My head does not turn to look back at him, it takes only a moment for me to process the information before I am scurrying out of my section, dodging a Peacekeeper as I all but scream, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

People turn their heads back towards the front as the Peacekeeper who was at first trying to keep me behind the ropes is now escorting me towards the stage.

"Wonderful!" Effie Trinket exclaims. "As this is the male tribute slot, you may only volunteer if you are a blood relative. Judging by the resemblance I take it that you are his older sister?"

She glances towards Carter as she says this and I follow her gaze, watching as two Peacekeepers restrain Carter as he screams for me. When he sees me turn towards him he quiets down a bit and once he sees the look I shoot him he stops struggling and slumps down in resignation. He knows that there is nothing he can do to stop what is happening. Looking back towards Effie I nod and walk onto the stage where Effie asks me to introduce myself.

"My name is Johanna Mason."

"Well let's hear it for Johanna Mason everybody."

What follows is in an uncomfortable silence as Effie looks expectantly at the crowd and the people of District 12 simply stand and stare back at her. I search the crowd for my mother's face as Effie abandons her quest for applause and moves towards the bowl to pick another tribute. I am not paying attention as the name is called however I do notice the upset murmur that goes through the crowd in reaction and before I can collect my thoughts a girl from the section of sixteens is pushing forward to volunteer as well.

"Katniss Everdeen," she says in a small voice when Effie asks her name.

"My goodness ladies and gentleman! What a treat we have here today," Effie Trinket says, clapping her hands together in excitement. "For the first time ever, District 12 has two volunteers! Let's give them a big hand!"

I have to admire Effie's perseverance in trying to get the crowd to applaud despite their refusal to do so earlier. Again the crowd stays still, however before Effie can decide to move on a voice cuts through the silence. Haymitch, the sole surviving victor from District 12, drunkenly stumbles towards me and Katniss as he speaks.

"These two have some real spirit...I like them."

He lurches towards us and we both take a step backwards, allowing him to pass between us and then fall right off the stage. As I look back at the crowd I realize that while I was distracted by Haymitch almost everyone in the crowd has started giving me and Katniss an old District 12 salute. Something within me stirs and I return it, bringing the three middle fingers of my left hand to my mouth before holding it out to the crowd - locking gazes with my brother and then my mother, who I have finally found in the crowd. I see Katniss do the same beside me and I wonder what exactly the odds were of this happening. It feels like it should be damn near impossible.

The rest of the proceedings are a blur and the time I have with my family afterwards is too short. It seems as though I barely have time to blink before I am sitting in my compartment on the train, fiddling with the wooden bracelet my brother pressed into my hand as the Peacekeeper was ordering them out. It was a bracelet I had made when my father first taught me to carve and I had given it to him as a gift. He wore it every day until he died and once my brother found it among his things he slipped it over his own wrist and had not taken it off since. Not until today. A part of me wonders if the bracelet is cursed, if it had caused my father to die in the accident and my brother to be reaped despite him only being in the bowl two times. I wonder if I will die wearing this bracelet as my father did. _Better me than Carter_, I think.

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><p>I decide to change into a pair of dark brown pants and a simple blue shirt - both are made of material that is far finer than anything I have ever owned, including the reaping dress I have just taken off. I head out of my compartment and towards the table where the others are already sitting and take the empty seat across from Katniss. The other girl has also abandoned her dress and donned some plain trousers and a dark green shirt. As I look Katniss over I realize that she is doing the same to me, and as our eyes meet I give her a nod of acknowledgement. Katniss' lips twitch into an almost imperceptible grin as she returns the nod then turns her attention back to her plate.<p>

I am a year older than Katniss and have never really talked to her, but I would frequently run into her while hunting in the forest and while trading at the Hob. Whenever we crossed paths in the forest we would nod at one another in acknowledgment - at first it was simply to signal that we were aware of the other's presence and would be mindful of that when shooting arrows or throwing blades, however at some point it evolved into an almost friendly greeting. We would nod and sometimes even smile when we saw each other in the forest, and soon that nod was standard any time we saw each other, even within the boundaries of the district. It was a simple gesture however in that moment it is oddly comforting because it feels like we have an understanding, that at the very least we will try not to kill each other as we go about hunting in the arena - being mindful of our arrows and knives. Well unless we are the last two.

It is hard for me to think about having to kill Katniss if it comes down to the two of us, and I wish I had never nodded at the girl the first time we saw each other in the forest. Certainly I wish I had never smiled in her direction. However even without our nodding and smiling relationship I feel a connection with Katniss considering the circumstances that led to us both sitting in this train. Young children being reaped is not a new occurrence, nor is it especially rare for the children being reaped to have older siblings. However for as far back as I can remember, never once has anyone volunteered for a younger sibling. For me it was unthinkable to do anything other than protect Carter, even if that meant dying in his place. I respect Katniss tremendously for doing the same for her little sister - she is a kindred spirit.

"Johanna, so glad you could join us," Effie's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. I force a small smile before shifting my focus to the food. There is so much of it and it all looks so rich that my stomach aches just looking at it. However looking is not enough and soon my plate is piled high and I am doing my best to keep myself from shoveling the food into my mouth.

We all eat in silence until Effie interrupts to make a comment about last year's tributes and their table manners. Katniss immediately starts eating with her hands and I have to hold in a smirk as I watch Effie's face. I understand where Katniss is coming from, just like last years tributes we both grew up in the Seam where everyone seems to live in a perpetual state of hunger. Luckily my father had taught me to throw knives before he passed away and I could use that to hunt food for my family, and Katniss had her bow to do the same - I can imagine that Katniss, like me, still did not eat much but at least we were not starving. There was probably more food on this table than last year's tributes saw in a month - it is not surprising that table manners were far from their minds and for Effie to make such a comment really was in bad taste.

As we sit down after dinner to watch the reapings from the other districts my mind wanders - I do not want to see the tributes in their homes, to humanize them in any way. There may be some advantage to sizing up my opponents in their most vulnerable moments, Katniss is staring at the screen in concentration, however I figure there will be time later to figure them out. Soon it is over and we are all moving back to our own compartments to sleep. I strip off my clothes, used to sleeping without a stitch, and fall into bed. In the safety of my blankets the tears silently begin to spill from my eyes as I finally give in to the emotions I have been holding at bay all day.


	2. Hot

I wake at dawn, a habit I've had since since I was a child, and decide I could use a shower. Figuring out the fancy Capitol controls is a puzzle but eventually I am able to get cleaned up before heading out of the compartment. To my surprise Haymitch is awake and even looking somewhat alert as he glances in my direction. Deciding to take advantage of this moment I walk over to where he is sitting on an armchair and sit on the sofa to his right.

"Good morning," I say in the friendliest voice I can muster, which is not very friendly at all. Haymitch only moans and rubs his forehead in response. At first I think he is most likely feeling the aftereffects of the previous day's indulgence, then I notice the half empty bottle of spirits in his other hand and realize he never stopped indulging. I press on, "I thought we could talk a bit about my strategy in the arena."

"Well look at you," Haymitch finally speaks. "Eager to get me to yourself, are you? Already trying to figure out how you're going to kill the other one?" He lets out a low chuckle and the strong smell of alcohol washes over my face.

I have no doubt "the other one" he is referring to is Katniss and my eyes flash with anger. Before Haymitch can register my movement I have pulled him out of his seat and have him pinned to the floor. I have one knee pressed into his stomach and my arm is at his neck, holding his head against the ground. Leaning in close to his ear so he can feel my breath hitting his neck I whisper roughly, "Listen you drunk imbecile, this is not a fucking joke. You need to sober the fuck up in order to be useful to the two of us otherwise you're just dead weight and I have no intention of dragging you around. This is your only warning, next time I swear I will snap your goddamn neck."

I put a bit more force on his neck for emphasis as I glare at him. Of course I'm aware that if Haymitch was solidly in possession of his faculties I would not be able to get him down so easily however at this point I don't care if he sobers up out of a desire to help us or a desire to stay alive. All I know is that a sober Haymitch must be better than the man in front of me now, and if he can't sober up I may not kill him but I could make sure he's unable to perform his sponsor duties. Surely the Capitol would find some sort of replacement for him to avoid questions, and they wouldn't be able to punish me seeing as they are about to throw me in the arena.

"Am I interrupting something?" Katniss' voice startles me and I snap my head to look at her, she is standing fairly close by. She has an amused look on her face and I have no idea how much of the conversation she heard.

"Not at all," I say in an unusually perky voice, "Haymitch and I were just having a chat, and I believe we have reached an understanding."

I am sure to put a bit more pressure on both his neck and stomach as I stand up, walking past Katniss towards the table the Capitol servers had piled high with breakfast food. I hear Haymitch getting up but he does not join me and Katniss at the table - he probably retreated to his room to regroup. I fill my plate with eggs, potatoes, and sausages - still in awe of the sheer volume of food available to us. I wonder what Carter and my mother are eating right now but I quickly push the thought from my mind. After silently eating for a few minutes Katniss speaks, "I heard everything. I would have done the same thing."

I simply grunt in acknowledgement as my mouth is full of fried potatoes. I may not know Katniss but I understand her all too well - we are similar in so many ways. We both lost our fathers to the mines and were forced to step up to provide for our families. We have both made many sacrifices to do so and this was the ultimate one - there was nothing funny about the situation we were in

"Oh you two are already awake, how wonderful!" Effie is walking towards us with Haymitch following close behind.

"Good morning," Katniss says politely to them both. Haymitch says nothing as he sits and begins putting food on his plate. He seems to have taken a quick shower and changed, his hair is wet and although he still smells like alcohol it is much milder. Finally he looks up at me and Katniss and starts to speak.

"Once we get to the Capitol your stylists will make you look presentable and dress you for the opening ceremony. The Capitol will no doubt be obsessing over the two District 12 volunteers - we need to come up with a strategy to keep them interested and get you two sponsors. Cinna and Portia will help with that."

"Thank you Haymitch," I tell him as I look him in they eye, hoping to also convey an apology for how I reacted to his joke earlier. He was a miserable drunk and his joke had been tasteless, however threatening to snap his neck may have been an overreaction. Although I regretted my impulsive actions, I could not argue with the results as he was already being helpful.

"Well it looks like you may have a chance, you've got more spunk than any of the other tributes I've seen. What sort of skills do you have?"

I glance at Katniss briefly but I realize it is ridiculous to worry about her hearing - she knows about my knives just as I know about her bows. So instead of answering him I pick a knife up off the table and launch it at a portrait behind Katniss' head. To her credit she doesn't even flinch as it whizzes past her ear and lodges in the throat of the man shown in the painting. Haymitch nods approvingly and turns his head to Katniss, "And you, darling?"

"I'm alright with a bow." Katniss says and Haymitch nods.

"Alright? She always shoots her game in the eye, no matter what it is or how far it is. She's amazing."

Haymitch and Katniss both turn towards me and suddenly I feel embarrassed at having blurted that out. Not only because it was a bit over enthusiastic but also because it may have revealed that I have watched Katniss hunt without her being aware of my presence. I couldn't help it, something about her intrigued me, and the first time I saw her shoot her bow I was drawn in even further. Judging by the smirk on her face Katniss is more than aware of the implications of my outburst.

"I thought you two didn't know each other?" Effie interjects.

"We don't really," Katniss replies. "We live close to each other and see each other around occasionally, never really talked."

Haymitch nods as if he's bored with the conversation and says, "Well it looks like between the two of you we could see a District 12 victor this year. I will stay sober enough to help you two but in return I need you to listen to everything I say without question."

Katniss and I glance at each other then back at Haymitch as we nod.

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><p>After hours of being scrubbed, plucked, and buffed I am finally ready to meet my stylist, Portia. She looks way more normal than most of my prep team - her skin is tan, not quite as dark as Katniss' olive skin but definitely darker than my own pale complexion. Her blond hair has streaks of blue in it and she informs me that she will be putting streaks in my hair as well, although mine will be red. I suppose that's better than dying my skin pink so I do not complain. Anyway Haymitch had told us to listen to our stylists and considering he had already started making an effort to be more useful I was going to follow his directions the best I could. Portia explains to me that for once we would not be coal miners but rather coal - a distinction I assume means a return to the naked, covered in soot style from a few years back. However she soon explains that we will be wearing unitards with capes that will be on fire along with our headpieces. While I am skeptical about the idea of being on fire, even synthetic fire, it definitely sounds as though it will get the crowds attention.<p>

When we meet Katniss by the chariot I am impressed by how her unitard fits her, she is more fit than I originally assumed, the outfit reveals the muscle definition in her arms. Before we get on the chariot Cinna instructs us to be sure to hold hands and smile at the audience. We glance towards Haymitch and he nods his approval so once I climb onto the carriage I grab her hand and link our fingers together as Portia and Cinna light our outfits on fire. Portia reminds us to be friendly, Haymitch gives me a look as she says this - he's definitely caught on to my somewhat abrasive attitude.

As we ride around in the chariot and hear the cheers, Katniss and I both smile and wave at the audience. Katniss tightens her grip on my hand as she begins to blow kisses to the audience and I decide to follow suit. All too soon the ride is over, though Katniss does not let go of my hand until the last possible moment she is dismounting from the chariot. I don't know if she even realized she was still holding it, but I immediately miss the contact when she lets go. Our teams go on about how well we did as we walk towards the elevators to get to our floor. Effie, Haymitch, Katniss and I climb onto an elevator and push the button for 12. I notice how entertained Katniss seems to be by the ride so when we reach the floor I let Effie and Haymitch get out and then quickly press the button to take us back down. Katniss raises an eyebrow at me but does not protest as I shrug my shoulders and say, "I wanted another ride."

As the elevator starts its descent she smiles at me and I feel that I may have made a mistake. I just wanted to take a moment to enjoy the smaller things however my kind gesture and all these looks and smiles we have been sharing is beginning to make it seem like I want to be her friend. Which I most certainly cannot afford to be if I am going to make it back to my mother and Carter. Sure I don't think we will kill each other right away, however if it comes down to just the two of us I need to be able to take her down without thinking about how much we both enjoy elevator rides.

In an attempt to unbalance her I decide to strip out of my costume, anyway it was beginning to make me feel a little hot and I say as much to explain my sudden need to be naked. I have nothing on underneath and Katniss tries to look away as I slip it off but I notice that she is unable to stop herself from sneaking a few glances - that may be useful later on I think to myself. When the elevator reaches the first floor the doors start to open and Katniss turns bright red as she sees our prep team along with some of the other tributes and their teams are still down there. We both go for the button at the same time and in her hurry Katniss trips over my abandoned unitard and falls into me, pushing us both onto the buttons. The doors start to close but it's too late, as most of them have noticed us standing in the elevator - me stark naked and Katniss blushing furiously while pinning me to the wall - and are staring in our direction. Cinna and Portia are looking towards us with contemplative gazes as the doors close and we head back to our floor. Katniss pushes herself away from me and stands fuming at the other end of the elevator.

When we reach our floor Katniss storms out of the elevator and I follow behind her, Haymitch and Effie both looking shocked at my state of undress. For the second time that night I shrug my shoulders, "I was hot."

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><p><strong>AN: Please let me know what you think - good or bad, so I know if it's worth pursuing.**


	3. Allies

The next morning I wake up earlier than usual after a restless night and throw on some clothes provided by the Capitol. I know I should apologize to Katniss and I would rather not do it in front of Effie and Haymitch so I am hoping to catch her before they wake up.

I do not know what I was thinking when I stripped in the elevator...I had just wanted to distance myself from Katniss and for some reason getting naked was the first stupid idea that popped into my head. I am not ashamed of my body however for everyone to have seen us, especially with the way Katniss had been blushing...she was right to be upset that I put her in that position. I think it's important for me to get back on her good side, especially after the talk I had with Portia last night.

I knock on her door and lightly say her name - I hear footsteps come towards the door and it opens to reveal Katniss looking as though she just woke up. Her hair is mussed and she is in her underwear. I cannot help it as my gaze travels the length of her body before coming back up to meet her eyes. She is smirking at me as she steps aside to let me into her room. This is already going much better than I thought it would. We both sit at the foot of her bed and turn to face each other.

"Look Katniss, I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry about it Johanna," Katniss cuts me off before I can go any further. Considering how upset she seemed yesterday when she marched straight to her room and slammed the door I am baffled and I must let that show on my face because she continues. "I know I seemed pretty angry yesterday but I overreacted. Don't get me wrong, what you did was stupid and pointless, but I know you decided to go on another elevator ride for me. Despite how that ride went you were just trying to give us both a little fun and although I don't know why you felt the need to get a reaction out of me like that, I do know you weren't trying to embarrass me in front of everyone else."

I am thrown - this just did not seem to be in character for Katniss. I am also a little upset that she has realized I was trying to do something nice for her but considering how the elevator ride ended I let that slide. I think back to Portia's talk on the roof yesterday and decide I might as well get it out of the way while Katniss is in this oddly forgiving mood.

"Come with me to the roof?"

"Let me just get dressed."

I realize Katniss is still in her underwear and it is my turn to blush. I cursed myself for acting like a schoolboy with a crush. I have admired Katniss from a distance far more than I like to admit, even to myself, and thinking of her would sometimes stir up some feelings I'd rather not delve into. Perhaps if things had gone differently our nodding and smiling would have progressed to talking and maybe even kissing. However considering where we are now my feelings are better left buried - and in an odd way I think Portia's idea will help with that.

"Alright let's go."

I am startled that Katniss got dressed so fast but I shake my head to clear my thoughts and head up to the roof with her. It's windy up here and when combined with the sounds of the Capitol it makes for a very loud place. I can see the understanding on Katniss' face as she figures out why I suggested the roof, then her face turns serious as she assumes that my effort to keep us from being overheard is for an important reason. We sit on a bench, close enough to each other so that we can talk in low voices and still be heard. When I start talking it is not what I planned to say.

"I've always noticed you, even though we never talked I felt like we were somehow connected. We have a lot in common. Maybe too much now," I laugh bitterly at that thought. Katniss stays silent, waiting for me to come to the point. "Look, I think we understand each other better than most other people could. I know that only one of us can make it home and I just want you to know if it isn't me I want it to be you."

"Johanna…"

"Just let me finish please Katniss. I don't know what is going to happen in the arena and maybe you don't feel the same way as I do. I just know that I don't want to be the one to kill you. Don't get me wrong, if it comes down to the two of us I won't hesitate because my family needs me, I'm sure you understand that. But unless that happens I think that we could work together. We could be allies, like the careers are, and at least try to ensure that one of us makes it back. And whoever makes it back can promise to take care of the other's family. What do you think?"

Katniss is quiet as she processes my words and I swear I can hear my heart thumping in my chest, even over all the noise on the roof. I silently curse myself for going there, for showing weakness in front of someone who, anyway you dice it, is my enemy. Each of us is hoping to live and therefore hoping the other dies. However much I regret being so vulnerable with Katniss I know I needed to ask, for mother and Carter if nothing else. One of us does have a shot at winning and by allying with Katniss I double the chances for my family to be taken care of after the games. I'm already worried about how they are doing without me there to take care of them. Finally Katniss takes a breath to reply as I stare at her in anticipation.

"Johanna," the way her voice breaks as she says my name makes my heart skip a beat, "If anyone else were to go home of course I would want it to be you. I feel that connection too. I hope you realize I would never think about being the one to kill you unless it was down to the two of us and I do hope that it doesn't come to that. I agree that it would be in our best interest to work together and try to insure one of us returns for the sake of our families. And to be quite honest I would just feel much better having you on my team."

I'm glad I was right in thinking we had an understanding as far as staying out of each other's way in the arena, however the thought of actually having an ally in there rather than just someone who simply isn't trying to kill me is exciting. I grin at Katniss and she returns it as her hand finds mine and links our fingers together. Of course this will complicate things later on but I decide to just stop thinking about it. Now there is the matter of letting Katniss in on Portia's plan.

"There is one more thing...I think our agreement now will hopefully make this easier. Portia came up with a strategy for us to get more sponsors yesterday and brought it to me last night after getting the green light from Haymitch."

"Oh? Why didn't anyone say anything to me last night?"

"They weren't sure how you'd react. Actually they considered not telling you exactly what was going on and having me reveal it during the interviews but I told them that was unfair to you."

"Reveal what?"

"Well after last night in the elevator people started talking," I start slowly. I know Katniss seemed alright with the whole incident but I do not want to bring it up any more than I have to. "Nobody confirmed or denied anything but it gave Portia the idea. She wants to us to play lovers."

Katniss' grip on my hand tightens briefly as I finish speaking and as I feel her whole body tense up next to me I realize that is not what she expected. However I take heart in the fact that she is not pulling away from me and I decide to continue talking.

"According to Portia the other stylists and prep teams who saw us in the elevator assumed that was what was going on and they really seemed to find the whole idea romantic in a way only Capitol folk can. Portia thinks that sponsors will react the same way - the fact that we both volunteered for our younger siblings has them intrigued but she said being volunteers isn't enough to keep them hooked. Before the elevator incident they had thrown around a milder version of the idea where I was in love with you and you were sort of unaware but at this point it's hard to make either one of us out as being oblivious. Anyway from where Portia and Cinna were standing they said they didn't notice your embarrassment at all and definitely thought you were just the more dominant one."

Katniss gives her signature smirk as I say this and my heart flutters at the thought of her potentially liking that people think we are in a relationship where she is dominant. At this point there is no denying I am in deep trouble - I was attracted to her before when all we had was passing glances, nods, and smiles but now that I actually have to interact with her it is becoming more and more impossible to ignore. I thought Portia's plan would make things easier by disguising any actions that hinted at my feelings as part of a strategy, but I realize now that pretending to be romantically involved with Katniss will be torture. If this is what I feel like when Katniss holds my hand and smiles at me, I imagine I will explode the first time we kiss.

"Well I can honestly say I did not see that coming. Though I suppose given their desire to present us as friends at the opening ceremony I should have figured that's what would come out of the elevator incident. So what exactly do they want from us? What is the story? How are they planning on playing us as lovers going into the arena knowing only one of us can come out alive?"

"I think we need to sit and hammer out some of the details. Us agreeing to be allies will make that much easier in the arena, at least for most of the game. I believe Cinna and Portia will be joining us for breakfast so we can all discuss it. Actually we may want to go down soon for breakfast."

Even though I suggest going back I am reluctant to move from our position. Somehow Katniss seems closer than she was when we started talking, our thighs are firmly pressed against each other and she has placed our clasped hands in her lap, where her thumb is absentmindedly brushing against the back of my hand. We sit in silence until finally a loud sound from the street below brings us both back to the present.

She stands without letting go of my hand and I follow her lead. Before we can start walking she tugs on my hand, roughly pulling me into her. I'm crushed into her side with my hand bent at an awkward angle but as she turns her face towards me and I feel her breath at my cheek I feel like I could stay in this position forever. When she speaks it's in such a low voice that despite our closeness I have to strain to hear every word.

"You know I've never really had any sort of romantic relationship. Never even been kissed. No time for that with the lives we lead. But I imagine doing this is going to require a kiss or two, and I'd rather my first one not be on camera for the benefit of the Capitol."

I untangle our fingers and move so that I am standing directly in front of her. My left hand flies to her face as I stroke her cheek and look into her eyes. I feel her hands come to rest on my hips and all I want to do is lean forward the last couple inches to kiss her. I look her in the eyes and whisper, "Do you trust me?"

She nods quickly and moves her face towards to mine but I bring my other hand up to gently stop her lips from meeting mine. She looks confused and a little embarrassed by my rejection so I lean forward to give her a chaste peck on her cheek near the corner of her mouth, not quite touching her lips.

"I promise I will not let your first kiss be for the Capitol. But if I kiss you now that is exactly what it would be."


	4. More

**A/N: I would like to thank _fanficfaenatic_ for being my first reviewer (also thanks to the guest who reviewed and the person who followed the story). It helps to know that at least a couple people are reading and enjoying. You motivated me to post another chapter today.**

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><p>When we arrive downstairs everyone is already sitting at the breakfast table, leaving Katniss and I to sit next to each other. Portia gives me an indecipherable look as we take our seats. The two of us start scarfing down food almost as soon as we sit down.<p>

"It looks like you two had an early morning," Effie chirps. "What have you two been up to?"

"Johanna was just filling me in on the basics of Portia's plan."

"So you're on board?" Haymitch asks cautiously.

"I'm on board with anything that will get us sponsors," Katniss replies. "However I do have quite a few questions about how this will work and what exactly you want us to do."

"We were just talking about this before you two got here," Portia says. "For now all we need is for you two to stay close to each other at all times, including while training. We want everyone, including the other tributes, to buy into the story."

"Why does it matter if the other tributes believe it?"

"First off we don't want them to say anything to contradict your story during the game and put sponsors off. Also if they believe that you two are hopelessly in love they will probably not see you as a threat and will take you less seriously."

At this point Haymitch jumps in, "In order to keep them underestimating you two, stay away from archery and knives during training. Instead focus your time on learning new skills that may be useful. When you have your private session you can do what you're good at but try to keep your performance average. If you score too high you will become a threat and a target."

"Won't it put off the sponsors if we get a low score?" I finally join the conversation.

"Yes," Haymitch replies. "I'm not saying to get a low score. Just don't get too high of a score. People with a 6 or a 7 have won before. The victor from a few years ago scored a 3. You let me worry about the sponsors sweetheart. You two just need to do what you're told."

I hate being asked to blindly follow orders and I especially do not appreciate him using demeaning pet names. Part of me wants to tell him to go fuck himself even though I know he is just trying to help us. I feel a hand on my knee and I am distracted from my anger before I can spit out a reply. Katniss must have seen me tense up, I look over and notice she does not look too happy either. It's no wonder she figured out I was angry, she must feel the same way. We are both stubbornly independent and I imagine she does not like being treated like a child any more than I do, she's just a bit better at controlling herself. I cover her hand with my own and take a deep breath before I reply to Haymitch.

"Alright. So we stay close to each other, don't give away our skills to the other tributes. What's our story though? Surely Caesar will want to know more during the interview."

"We don't want to make things too complicated," Portia steps up to answer my question. "The story will be that you two were secretly dating for some time before the reaping. Try not to get into specifics if you don't have to. The story of you two here now as star-crossed lovers is much more important than the past...you need to keep the focus on how you feel about each other now."

"And how do we feel about each other now?" Katniss asks.

"You're in too deep to pull away from each other so you're just dealing with it one day at a time. Of course you both want to get back to your families but you also don't want to have to kill each other. So when you get to the arena you two don't have to work together but it would be in your best interest not to kill each other right off the bat so as to keep the story alive. It will get both of you more sponsors."

I feel Katniss tighten her grip on my knee at the same time I tighten my grip on her hand. We had spoken with each other candidly about what would happen in the arena but to hear Portia talking about us killing each other over breakfast is upsetting. I realize they do not know about our decision to work together in the arena and am about to tell them when Katniss beats me to it.

"Actually Johanna and I have decided to be allies so that should not be a problem. We will be working together for as long as possible while in the arena. We decided this morning that it is the best way to milk our story for the sponsors and give us both a decent a chance at winning."

I am grateful for how she presents our decision to be allies, though I would expect nothing less from Katniss. Our admissions of feeling a connection and not wanting to kill each other along with our promise that the winner would take care of the other's family were very personal. She flips her hand over on top of my leg so that she can grab mine and interlock our fingers. I know she just means for the gesture to reassure me of all the aspects of our alliance that she leaves out of her explanation, but I can't help the way my stomach fills with butterflies at the gesture. Cinna looks between the two of us and speaks for the first time this morning.

"That is great to hear, it will definitely make the story more believable. The people who saw you two in the elevator yesterday have been chattering, I saw the story on a couple video feeds this morning before coming here. People are definitely curious and intrigued by your relationship and I am sure seeing it in the arena will go a long way with the sponsors. It has never been done before and the people in the Capitol will eat it up. They have a twisted sense of romance."

Cinna was right, Capitol folk are pretty twisted if the idea of two tributes in love inside an arena where only one can come out alive seems romantic. We quickly finish eating our breakfast without too much more planning - Katniss and I have to get ready for our first training session. Before we head down Haymitch reminds us once more not to reveal our skills and to be sure to act like we're in love.

"Try to be subtle about it though," as he speaks he gives me a look that seems to say he doesn't think I could be subtle if my life depended on it. He may be right about that - I approach most tasks at full throttle.

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><p>Katniss stands closer to me than is necessary when we get in the elevator and she grabs my hand as soon as the doors close. When the elevator stops early at the 5th floor and the doors open she tries to unlink our fingers quickly and steps away from me. The fox-faced girl and the lanky boy from District 5 step on to the elevator. The girl smirks at the sight of Katniss blushing, "We caught the show last night, no need to be shy now."<p>

After making her comment she turns around to face the doors and wait for us to arrive at the Training Center. Katniss does not move back to her earlier position but when I look at her she winks. Of course she was doing that so we would get caught, I feel stupid for thinking it was anything else but I am impressed by how clever she is.

All the other tributes are already there when we arrive and more than a few of them are looking at us. A couple of the boys are eyeing me with lecherous gazes and I have no doubt they caught an eyeful last night. The way they look at me is disconcerting as I remember that some of the more unhinged tributes have been known to rape people in the arena. Of course the Gamemakers never let that go on for too long - children killing each other was entertaining but raping put the Capitol citizens off. Go figure. I already regretted my actions however as I realize I have potentially made myself a target for far more than killing I curse my impulsive nature even more. To my surprise Katniss steps in front of me and growls at them, her eyes are a steely grey as she stares them down until they look away. She steps back besides me and places a hand at my lower back in a comforting yet possessive gesture. I am thankful that Katniss is so much better than I am at playing this part, even though I am the one with actual feelings for her.

We go through training together and do not have any interactions with anyone else. As per Haymitch's instruction we stay away from archery and knives and go to centers where we can learn new skills. At lunch when all the tributes are sitting by themselves, except for the Careers who form an obnoxious pack, we sit close to each other on the same bench. We talk in hushed tones as we eat and at one point Katniss feeds me a grape, letting her fingers linger at my lips after I take it into my mouth. Her thumb brushes over my bottom lip as she stares at my mouth and then all of a sudden, as if she just remembered where we are, she pulls her hand away from my face and looks down blushing. I am in awe of her acting abilities as I notice she has at least half the tributes staring at us. After lunch we continue working at new stations as well as observing our competition. All too soon training has come to an end and we head back to our floor.

When we arrive back in our quarters later that evening both of us immediately head for our rooms to shower and change. At dinner Haymitch and Effie are eager to know how training went and what we learned about the other tributes. After being grilled by them all night I retire to my room exhausted. I strip off my clothes and climb into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

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><p>I wake up to the sound of light knocking at my door and Katniss whispering my name. As I stumble sleepily to the door I note it is still dark out and look at the clock to see that it has only been an hour since I fell asleep. I throw the door open and raise a questioning eyebrow at Katniss who is standing there in a short white slip. I only remember that I am naked when she looks down at my body and a blush creeps up her neck. I briefly think that she blushes so much she could probably dye her skin red like some of the creepy Capitol citizens I've seen and I wouldn't know the difference.<p>

"I couldn't sleep," she says quietly.

"So you decided to wake me up?" I reply. She frowns at this but before she can turn to leave I grab her wrist and pull her into my room, smiling at her to reassure her that I am not angry. As I close the door I curse my inability to see her get even the slightest bit upset.

She sits down at the edge of my bed and I join her, staring at the smooth skin of her thigh revealed by her slip bunching up when she sat down. She clears her throat and looks me up and down pointedly, trying to remind me of my nakedness so that I cover up. I stay seated.

"This is my room, brainless. I'm not putting clothes on just to make you more comfortable."

She fiddles with the corner of the blanket and nods. I regret my stubborn refusal to cover up as I realize my body is reacting to her proximity and both of our states of undress. She shivers and I can see she is not wearing a bra under her slip as her own body reacts to the cold air in the room. I stare at her thighs again and wonder if she is completely bare under that slip. As soon as the thought crosses my mind I try to banish it and find myself wishing we were both wearing full body armor and standing at least 20 yards apart.

"I'm sorry that I'm disturbing your sleep."

"It's alright, I was having some seriously crappy dreams anyway."

That's a lie - I don't remember what I was dreaming about but I was pretty comfortable. Of course if I say that it would probably just make Katniss feel worse about waking me up. I think she knows I'm lying but with the way she is smiling at me I can't bring myself to care.

"Can I stay here with you tonight?"

I should definitely say no. It is a terrible idea. I cannot be sharing a bed with this girl. Alliance or not there is still a chance I will have to kill her in a few days time.

"Of course."

We both climb under the covers and I do my best to stay as far away from her as possible, laying on my back near the edge of the bed. Katniss has other ideas and moves so close to me that we are almost touching as she lays on her side staring at me. This girl does not seem to have any respect for personal space. I close my eyes as I feel her hand start to trace my collarbone, her touch is so light I could almost be imagining it. I attempt to steady my breathing as she begins to speak.

"I used to watch you in the forest sometimes. At first I told myself it was just to make sure you had enough control of your knives that you wouldn't accidentally hit me. I knew you did after the first time I saw you throw one straight into the throat of a wild turkey from yards away. I didn't stop watching you though, I couldn't. You were always so graceful and powerful with your knives, it was impossible to look away. I was in awe of the way you moved through the forest, or anywhere, with such confidence. Then I would watch you trade at the Hob and be so impressed by how people were intimidated by you. I even watched you out in the forest last month when you were teaching your little brother to throw knives. You were so gentle and patient with him."

She hasn't stopped ghosting her hand along my neck and shoulders the whole time she's been talking. I don't know where she is going with this but my body feels like it's on fire. The fact that she is confessing to having watched me, regardless of her reasons, has my heart doing backflips. I sense that she has more to say so I stay silent.

"Every time we saw each other I thought of saying something to you but by the time I would gather the courage you were gone. I used to tell Prim about you - the beautiful girl with the knives who nodded and sometimes smiled at me. I felt like we had so much in common, like we could learn from each other and perhaps be friends." Her hand stills, fingers splayed out at the base of my neck before she continues, "I thought if I could only gather the courage to talk to you maybe we could even be more."

My eyes snap open at this and I find that her face has moved closer to mine. She is quiet now and her grey eyes have a foggy look as if her mind is elsewhere, maybe in a world where she had talked to me. I bring my hand up to cover hers at my neck and that brings her eyes back into focus as she looks at me and continues to speak.

"Why didn't I ever say anything?" I'm surprised by the distress I hear in her voice. "Why didn't you? Didn't you want to?"

"Of course I did," I whisper. "I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to know more about you. I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to be your friend. I wanted to be more."

It is the answer she was looking for but it breaks her. I can see the tears pooling in her eyes as she speaks. "We could have been more. We could have had so much more. We let the time slip through our fingers and now there is nothing we can do to bring it back."

Then she is sobbing into my neck and I am quietly holding her because there is nothing I can say to comfort her that wouldn't be a lie. I have always felt a connection with Katniss and when we were back in District 12 I had thought that maybe one day I would work up the courage to court her and win her over. I hadn't ever thought that she may already be harboring the same exact feelings for me. As I let Katniss cry herself to sleep on my shoulder I am amazed at the vulnerability she showed in coming here like this tonight. Holding her in my arms I realize there is no way I will be able to kill her and I sure as hell won't let anyone else. I will fight until my dying breath to make sure Katniss gets out of that arena alive.


	5. Dreams

**A/N: Again I would just like to thank everyone who reviewed or followed. I'm glad people are liking Katniss and Johanna in this story, I was a little nervous people would find them too out of character. This is what I imagine Johanna could have been like before her games and having everyone she loved killed. And I just like exploring a more vulnerable and open side to Katniss.**

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><p>I am currently regretting letting Katniss into my room last night. What possessed me to do that? Why did I let her sleep here? Why didn't I put clothes on? I have resigned myself to the fact that I am hopelessly in love with her and will be trying to get her out of the arena alive. I have accepted that this means that I will die and I am okay with that because at least I will know that Katniss is alive, and I know if Katniss lives she will take care of my family. None of that is the issue here. The issue is that I have found out that Katniss is in fact bare under her tiny white slip.<p>

When I thought about that last night I imagined finding out in much more satisfying ways. What happened instead is that her slip rode up to her waist in the middle of the night and as she is sleeping partially on top of me this resulted in me waking up to the sensation of her slick, smooth center rubbing against my thigh as she shifted in her sleep. To make matters worse the position she is in means that her thigh is lightly pressed into me and I have been feeling much more sensitive down there ever since the prep team had their way with me. I am sure that at this point her leg is coated with the evidence of my arousal. There is no way for me to get out from under her without waking her up and I do not know what will happen when she does wake up.

I am saved from having to figure out what to do as a door slams somewhere outside my room, making such a loud noise I am certain it will wake Katniss. Sure enough I feel her eyelashes move against my cheek as her eyes open and her body tenses, a movement which pushes her thigh further into me and causes me to arch up and push my own thigh into her. When she lets out a breathy moan I almost flip her over on the bed and take her on the spot, however at that moment I hear Effie call my name through the door as she knocks. I am glad I locked the door last night because as Katniss and I freeze in our positions I'm sure the sight would give Effie a heart attack.

"Have you seen Katniss? Her door was open and her room was empty."

Katniss lifts her upper body off of me and we exchange a look as she replies, "I'm in here Effie. Just came by earlier to talk strategy with Johanna."

After a slight pause Effie responds, "Okay well I will see you two out here for breakfast. Haymitch wanted a word before you leave for training."

Katniss rolls off of me and I am at once relieved and disappointed. We both lay in bed for a bit longer before she finally speaks.

"Thank you for letting me stay here last night."

"Any time."

She starts getting off the bed and looks at me shyly as she adjusts her slip. "Do you mind if I borrow some clothes?"

"Help yourself," I tell her as I get up and stretch, noting that her eyes follow my every move. If Katniss looks at me like that every time I'm naked I never want to wear clothes again. Finally she snaps out of it as she heads to the drawers and picks out some clothes, going into the bathroom to change. I start pulling on clothes as well, trying to wipe this morning's events from my mind before going out to talk to Haymitch.

Haymitch gives us a few instructions about which stations could be useful for us to train at that we haven't already visited. Training is pretty much the same as yesterday as Katniss and I stick together and do not interact with anyone else. I do notice that one of the boys from yesterday is staring at me again and something about him makes me uneasy. I am not afraid to die in the arena but I shudder at the thought of being raped and of having that televised across Panem. That would cause my family even more suffering than all of this is already bound to bring them. He is the male tribute from District 6 and I decide I will need to be extra careful around him. Luckily Katniss doesn't notice because at this point I am not sure if her defensiveness yesterday was an act at all and I don't want her getting into trouble over this or becoming a target herself. Training ends without incident and dinner is much the same as the previous day as well - it consists mostly of Haymitch and Effie grilling us about what happened at training.

After dinner we go to our own rooms, though this time I make sure to throw a large shirt on after I undress just in case Katniss decides to visit again. Sure enough just as I am settling into bed I hear her light knock and open the door to find her in a light green slip a few inches longer than the one she was wearing the night before. She smirks at me when she notices that I am wearing an oversized blue shirt, she knows it means I was expecting her.

"Can I come in?"

Instead of saying anything I step aside to make room for her to walk past me and then I shut the door. This time she does not sit on my bed but rather she stands in the middle of the room looking at the floor and fidgeting. I walk over to stand in front of her and she starts speaking without looking up at me.

"Look about last night...I shouldn't have said those things." She looks up in time to see my face fall and she quickly continues. "I meant every word, I won't pretend I didn't. But it was unfair of me to say any of it to you knowing what we are going into. I'm sorry I have made this even harder."

"Don't be," I step closer to her. "I'm not. Of course I wish we had talked to each other sooner and that we weren't in this position but you being courageous enough to say something yesterday means we still have some time. Maybe not a lot, but I am not going to regret any amount of time I get to spend with you. Not after I have spent so much time dreaming of being with you."

"Oh? And how exactly have you dreamed of being with me?"

She's running her hands up and down my bare arms and giving me this coy look that is driving me absolutely wild. I wrap one hand around her waist and pull her into my body, using my other hand to grab her neck and bring her in closer. I see her eyes flutter shut and mine do the same just as our lips meet.

Considering both of our personalities I am pleasantly surprised at how tender our kiss is. Katniss brings her hands up to tangle her fingers in my hair as our lips move softly against each other. I end the kiss only when oxygen starts to become an issue, catching her bottom lip gently between my teeth before I slowly pull away.

Katniss leans her forehead against mine and as we both try to catch our breath. Finally she grins and breaths out, "So that's what you've been dreaming of, eh? Not bad."

I grin at her but I shake my head as I grab her hand and lead her over to the bed. She looks at me curiously but when I get under the covers she joins me, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me. I gently grab her and pull her towards me until she is resting on my shoulder with my arm around her.

"Of course I dreamed of kissing you, you're an incredibly attractive person, but that is not what I was talking about. I dreamed of the two of us going hunting together and sharing our expertise with each other. I dreamed of being able to hold you so close that I could feel your heart beating against my body. I dreamed of us together and happy, building a home..."

My voice gives out at the end and I can not longer continue to recount the dreams I had that have no chance of coming true. I squeeze my eyes shut as the tears begin to flow. Katniss gets up from her position at my shoulder and I feel her wipe the tears from my face before she pulls me towards her so that she is now holding me. She lays back down and guides my head to rest on her chest where I can hear her heart beating steadily. The sound lulls me to sleep as she gently runs her fingers through my hair, just as silent as I was last night. There is nothing she can say.


	6. Turns

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed. This chapter is shorter than most but I really wanted to get an update out to thank you all. My goal when I started was to update at least once a week and I will stick to that, but the positive responses have been motivating me to get stuff out quicker.**

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><p>The next morning Effie and Haymitch stare as Katniss and I walk out of my room but neither of them say anything. Over breakfast Haymitch reminds us of our strategy for the private sessions later today. When I finally go into the gym to have my session most of the Gamemakers are clearly not paying attention to me. I start to get angry but I calm myself down - this could only help with Haymitch's plan. I throw a few knives around, careful not to do too well and I see that at least a couple of the Gamemakers are watching me and nodding. They dismiss me and I walk out to where Katniss is waiting her turn, grabbing her before she can go into the room.<p>

"Katniss," I get her attention. "The Gamemakers are assholes, they barely paid attention to me. Just don't let it get to you, it will probably work in our favor."

She nods and walks into the room for her own session while I wait outside for her to finish. Ten minutes later she comes out looking angry and I am worried she did something foolish.

"They were too busy salivating over lunch to even pay attention to me. Don't worry, I listened to what you said and didn't let it get to me, I just shot arrows until they dismissed me."

Later that night we watch them reveal the scores - Katniss and I both score sevens and Haymitch is pleased. The celebration does not last long, or at all, as he and Effie send us to bed like children. They want us to be fresh tomorrow to train with them for our interviews. We will be training together and the thought makes me more than a little nervous. Katniss makes me say and do things that I wouldn't normally, and I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing. After dinner Katniss follows me straight to my room, clearly she is not concerned with what Effie or Haymitch may think at this point.

"The boy from 6 was staring at you this morning."

I can tell by her voice that she is just barely holding in her anger at the thought. I noticed him staring again as everyone was going through the last bit of training before private sessions but I have resolved to ignore it. Nothing good can come of dwelling on whatever obsession he seems to have with me. I decide to approach the topic in a straightforward manner.

"I noticed, he hasn't exactly been subtle these past few days. I think that seeing me naked in the elevator gave him some ideas."

Katniss' eyes harden as she realizes what sort of ideas I am talking about. She moves closer to me and grabs my hand as she gazes at me, her steel grey eyes meeting my amber ones. Her other hand comes up to caress my cheek in a gesture I find disconcertingly gentle considering the fire in her eyes.

"I know you can take care of yourself but I swear I will kill him if he even comes near you. Hell I'll probably kill him anyway just for thinking about you that way."

I really shouldn't be turned on by Katniss talking about killing someone but I can't help how sexy she looks when she's angry and determined to protect me. In a flash I have her backed up to the wall and am holding her arms above her head, pinning both her wrists to the wall with one hand. I bring my face close to hers but stop just before our lips meet, looking into her eyes which have already become hooded with lust. She tries to move her head forward and kiss me but I stop her with the hand I have at her neck, shaking my head. She growls at me and it is too much for me to resist, I close the distance between our lips and kiss her roughly.

Soon we fall into a more gentle rhythm, lost in the sensation of each other's lips. My tongue peaks out asking for entrance, and Katniss opens her mouth to let it slide in. She tastes like plums and I can't help the groan of pleasure that I emit when our tongues meet, gently moving against each other. When we finally come apart we are both breathing heavily and I release my grip on Katniss' wrists. She immediately brings her hands down to my waist and slips them underneath my shirt, softly caressing the skin she finds there.

"Aren't you a little overdressed for bed?"

I very nearly swoon at the wicked smile she gives me as she says this. She doesn't even blush. Instead of replying I back away from her and begin to slowly undress. She does the same, we stare into each other's eyes as we take off every last piece of clothing until we are both standing bare in the middle of my room. She has seen me a couple times but the way she stares at me now is new and sends shivers up my spine. This is my first time seeing her completely naked and I greedily take in the sight of her flawless olive skin. Her black hair falls over her shoulders and is just barely covering the top of her breasts, which are slightly larger than mine but just as perky. I map out where I want to kiss my way down between her breasts, over her flat stomach, and to her glistening center. As I tear my eyes away to admire her strong slender thighs Katniss loses her patience and lunges towards me.

I fall backwards onto the bed and she lands on top of me, I nearly groan at the feeling of our completely naked bodies pressed against each other for the first time. Her breasts are pushing into mine as she attacks my neck - licking, biting, kissing with a desperation that leaves me breathless. I let her continue for a couple minutes before pulling her up and joining our lips in for a deep kiss. While our tongues are battling for dominance I roll us over so that I am on top and slip my thigh between her legs. She moans into my mouth at the feeling and arches her back to increase the pressure where she needs it most.

I pull away from her to wrap my mouth around one of her hardened nipples, caressing it with my tongue as I twirl the other one between my fingers. After lavishing her breasts with plenty of attention I start to follow my mental map down her stomach, kissing and licking as I go. When I finally reach my destination I give one slow, deliberate lick along her slit and feel her shudder with anticipation. I can taste her sweat and arousal on my tongue and the sensation is clouding my head with need. Soon I am sucking on her clit and have two fingers thrusting in and out of her as she pants my name, repeating it over and over as she nears her release.

Katniss' hands tangle in my hair as she guides me back up to her face, staring into my eyes as she tell me, "I want you up here with me."

I don't waste time placing my thumb on her clit to replace mouth as I continue to thrust into her. I lock eyes with her as I curl my fingers inside her and she screams my name as she comes undone. If Effie and Haymitch didn't know what we are doing before, they certainly are now. I keep my fingers inside her as she rides out her orgasm, pulling them out once she stops shuddering.

She watches me intently as I lick my fingers clean and as soon as I'm done she pulls me into a heated kiss. I wonder if she can taste herself in my mouth and the thought sends a wave of heat through my body. She ends the kiss but keeps our lips pressed together, I can feel her mouth moving against mine as she whispers, "My turn." In the next second I am on my back with Katniss staring hungrily down at me.

We battle for dominance all night, each of us taking more turns than I care to count. By the time we finally stop due to sheer exhaustion the sweat-soaked sheets are on the floor and I am wondering if my legs will ever be able to function again. When Katniss pulls me in for one last kiss I taste all the evidence of our lovemaking on her tongue, our sweat and arousal intermingling in an intoxicating mix. We fall asleep with our limbs intertwined and our faces so close that I can feel her breath on my lips.

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><p><strong>Feedback would be appreciated since this was my first attempt at a love scene. Not sure if I should continue to do these in detail or if I'd be better off skipping past them...<strong>


	7. Loud

**A/N: I appreciate the positive response, thanks so much everyone. I know I can't keep up the daily updates forever, but your reviews are making me want to try :) **

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><p>Although I did not get very much sleep I wake up feeling wonderfully rested, and the realization that my head is laying on Katniss' bare chest puts a smile on my face. One of her arms is wrapped protectively around my waist, pulling me tightly into her. My arm is trapped between our bodies and as I shift my weight to release it from its somewhat uncomfortable position Katniss begins to stir. I lift myself up and pull away from her so that I can see her face as her eyelids flutter open and she smiles sleepily at me.<p>

"Good morning, beautiful."

She rolls her eyes at my greeting but her smile widens so I know she liked it. She pulls me back towards her and gives me a slow, languorous kiss.. Before it can escalate I pull away from her and get out of bed, feeling a tingling in my stomach as Katniss lets her eyes roam over my body.

"As much as I would like to continue down that path, we both probably need to shower before training."

I turn to look back when I reach the doorway to the bathroom and see Katniss pouting as she gathers her clothes to put on for the journey to her own room.

"I didn't mean separately, brainless."

Katniss drops her clothes and stalks towards me, the pout has been replaced by a predatory gaze. I run into the shower with her on my tail, turning the water on just as she crashes into me from behind. My head is turned to the side so that my cheek is pressed into the wall of the shower, as is the rest of my body. The tile feels extremely cold against my skin but it is balanced by the heat from Katniss standing behind me as she pushes me into the tile with her body. I can feel her nipples straining against my bare back as she leans in to ravage my neck with kisses. I try to turn around but she growls and pushes me harder against the wall.

I feel one of her hands come around to squeeze itself between the tile and my breasts. She starts to gently massage my breasts, switching between both of them but avoiding my nipples. She snakes her other hand down my body to lightly stroke my clit from behind, but every time I try to press myself into her she pulls away. I'm going wild as she starts to lightly stroke my slit with one hand while drawing lazy circles around my nipple with the other. As she drags her tongue up my throat I want to beg her to be rougher, to apply more pressure, to touch me where I need her the most. Even though I'm sure I did last night, in this moment I am determined not to beg. Johanna Mason doesn't beg.

"Fuck Katniss!" I scream out as, without warning, she bites down at my neck at the same time as she roughly tweaks one of my nipples and thrusts two fingers deep inside me. I can feel a stinging sensation where she bit me but she quickly soothes it with her tongue.

"I'm trying, _brainless_." She breathes out as she starts to use her thigh to increase the strength of her thrusts.

She adds a third finger and I scream her name as my orgasm washes over me. My legs quiver with the effort of staying upright and Katniss moves the hand at my breasts to hold me around the waist and keep me on my feet as I recover. She removes her fingers and finally allows me to turn around and pull her in for a kiss.

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><p>We emerge from the room much later, after all I did have to have my turn and then there was actual showering to be done. Haymitch and Effie are already seated as we walk towards the breakfast table. For the first time since the reaping Effie remains absolutely silent as we walk towards her, looking studiously at her eggs. I think she may be blushing but it is hard to tell under all the makeup she wears. Haymitch is looking at us curiously, and does not say anything until we both sit down.<p>

"You two are taking this too far. What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

I am already scarfing down eggs because we worked up a serious appetite last night but something in Haymitch's tone compels me to look up at him. His face is serious as he levels the two of us with an intense stare. Despite the fact that her face is reddening, Katniss stares back at him in defiance as she replies.

"Just stay the fuck out of it Haymitch."

"Stay the fuck out of it?! I wish I could sweetheart." Haymitch starts to raise his voice while Effie is still staring at her plate as though the secrets of the universe are inscribed on her biscuit. "If you wanted me to stay out of it you two should have been a bit quieter while you were fucking. I'm pretty sure everyone in the building heard you two last night, and again this morning."

"So what?" Katniss is bright red at this point but she is not backing down. "I thought you wanted them to think we were lovers so they think we won't be able to act rationally in the arena. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that at this point I'm not so sure it's an act!"

The anger and frustration with which Haymitch yells this stuns Katniss into silence. It also finally gets Effie to look up from her plate, though she still does not speak. Katniss seems to be regrouping for an angry retort so I grab her hand under the table to calm her down as I reply.

"Fuck you Haymitch. We aren't being irrational, we're being realistic. We are about to be sent to our deaths in the arena so I think we're entitled to enjoy some harmless sex before we get in there. As allies, and attractive ones at that, there is no better option than each other. And if we're loud enough to disturb the other victors' sleep? Well that's just an added bonus."

Effie finally chimes in, "I think Haymitch's concern is that you two are getting too attached. Given that you have been spending the night with each other since we arrived and now you are having a lot of very loud sex I believe his concerns are not unfounded."

"Just because we're having a bunch of loud sex doesn't mean we are getting too attached. It just means we have needs and aren't shy about satisfying them. If it were anything else we would have been more discreet, but as it stands this is only going to help our plan. Now if you two are done obsessing about our sex lives, I'd like to be able to finish my breakfast. I've worked up quite an appetite."

I give Katniss's hand a squeeze before letting go to attack my eggs once more. She places her hand on my thigh as she continues with her own breakfast and I know she understands that I do not mean what I said to Haymitch and Effie. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is worried by this because it also means that Haymitch may be right about us being irrational. Effie and Haymitch look at each other then back at the two of us and I am not sure if they believe me but I think they know it's useless to continue.

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><p>Since we are training together for the interviews Haymitch and Effie both work with us at the same time. We both wear dresses and heels so Effie can work with us on how to walk and sit in them. Haymitch focuses more on the content, trying to help each of us find and angle while Effie continues to advise us on our presentation as he works with us.<p>

Katniss cannot seem to take on any of the personas Haymitch suggests and he ends up just telling her to try not to make people dislike her too much. I feel that he is being a bit harsh but I know that saying as much will not help with his suspicions of Katniss and I becoming too attached. I am better at hiding my disgust with the entire ordeal and Haymitch mentions multiple times how lucky we are that I will be going after Katniss. He ends up spending more time with me while Effie makes Katniss go through extra smiling exercises on Haymitch's insistence that perhaps they can at least make her seem likeable when she is not talking. My angle is to be funny and likeable, which I don't like but I am able to pull off.

After dinner Katniss goes to her own room and I assume Haymitch got to her this morning. I have just stripped down for bed and gotten under the covers when Katniss slips through my door completely naked. I know Haymitch and Effie are still out in the common area so they must have seen her walking into my room. She gives me a sheepish grin as she walks towards me to join me in bed and says, "I was making a point."

I pull her towards me, reveling in the feeling of her naked body against mine. "You know I didn't mean what I said this morning, right? It is pretty satisfying sex," I grin at her as I say this, "but that is not all this is to me." Even though I'm sure she understood this morning I still feel the need to clarify.

"I know. I am worried about what Haymitch said though, about us being irrational."

"Don't be, we'll be fine and it doesn't do any good to worry. Let's just enjoy the time we have."

"I'm also worried about the interview tomorrow. Haymitch seems to think I'm going to make everyone hate me."

I curse Haymitch for being so nasty to Katniss during their training sessions. "Katniss, there is no way they could hate you. Everyone already adores you, just be yourself and you'll be fine."

Katniss gives me a sweet kiss before snuggling into me and drifting off to sleep.

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><p><strong>As I said earlier, I appreciate any and all feedback. Most has been positive so far but don't be afraid to let me know if there is something I could improve upon. Or you could just give me compliments, that's good too :P<strong>

**Also while I have a general idea of where this is going I don't have it completely mapped out, so if you have something you want to see (big or small) feel free to mention it in a review or private message and I will work it into the story if I can.**


	8. Strong

I don't bother putting clothes on as I walk over to the door to open it and curse at whoever is knocking so loudly this early in the morning. The second the door is open I am all but trampled by my prep team, all three of them are loudly chattering as they surround me, unphased by my nudity.

"What the hell?" Katniss sleepily mumbles from the bed as she sits up, the sheets falling to her waist and revealing her bare torso.

Everyone on my prep team lets out a squeal, attracting Katniss' prep team from the other room where they were presumably searching for her. When they arrive they take in the scene and also squeal, excited to the rumors confirmed. What follows is a few solid minutes of squealing and fawning and questions and being told what an adorable couple we are and how romantic this whole thing is. I am still shocked at how anyone can find the situation we are in romantic and I wish they would all just shut up and go away. Instead Katniss is dragged to her own room and I am left at the mercy of my prep team, who immediately start working on everything from my hair to my nails. By late afternoon they are finished and Portia walks in with my dress, giving me a break from their constant babbling.

The dress is strapless and short, so short I am happy Effie's presentation lessons covered short dresses otherwise the Capitol would be getting an eyeful. It is a deep black color but it shimmers with an orange glow when it moves around, giving the effect of smoldering coal. My dark brown hair hangs loosely at my shoulders, with the red streaks that Portia added earlier having been redone to look brighter than ever. Portia has me walk around and practice sitting to get used to my dress and heels, then we walk over to meet everyone else by the elevator.

Katniss is already there, wearing a dress made of the same material as mine. Her dress seems much more elegant, a gown that reaches down past her ankles and is held up with one thin strap at her left shoulder. Her black hair falls down her back in a simple braid. One look at the two of us makes it very clear who they are trying to cast as the seductress. We make our way down to stand in line with the other tributes waiting to get on stage. Katniss grabs my hand and interlaces our fingers before we walk onto the stage and as we sit down with joined hands swinging in the space between our chairs I can see the image projected onto large screens for the audience.

The interviews for the other tributes seem to fly by as Katniss and I sit and wait our turn, never once letting our hands part even though they are starting to get sweaty from our combined nerves. When it is finally time for Katniss to go up my heart is racing in my chest. Caesar is very nice, complimenting her dress and talking with her about our outfits for the opening ceremony and then about Prim. I notice she is looking at Cinna as she talks, and am glad to see that she seems much more natural than she did at practice yesterday. Finally Caesar brings up the topic everyone is waiting for.

"Katniss, I must ask, what is the story behind you and fellow tribute Johanna Mason? There have been some rumours floating around since the opening ceremonies and with you two holding hands out here...well we are all very curious."

"Johanna and I met a little before the reaping and were immediately drawn to each other. We kept our relationship a secret and when we were both reaped our instinct was to try to distance ourselves. However we quickly realized we just couldn't stay away from each other and we decided to take advantage of the time we had left."

The buzzer goes off before Caesar can reply and the crowd's applause for Katniss lasts until I am getting up to shake his hand.

Caesar greets me and I am impressed that he has the restraint not to jump straight into talking about my relationship with Katniss. He asks me about Carter and about how I am liking the Capitol. We joke back and forth and get a few laughs out of the crowd before Caesar brings up the Katniss.

"Johanna we had Katniss admit to the relationship you two have. We have never seen anything like this in any of the games. Are you at all worried about how that will affect your performance in the arena? Won't it be distracting?"

I am a little thrown by this question - we had been expecting questions about how we felt about each other but did not think they would ask bluntly about how this would reflect in the arena. Even Haymitch had been sure that it was too morbid a topic for Caesar to bring up but here it was. I take a deep breath and decide to be honest.

"I am not worried about my performance Caesar, because I know I have something worth fighting for in the arena that is bigger than me. I will be fighting for Katniss and there is nothing that will distract me from making sure the girl I love gets out of that arena alive."

The crowd lets out a collective sigh at this and Caesar jumps in to reply, "Wow folks, I believe this is the first time in the history of the games that one of the tributes has professed a desire to ensure someone else's victory. Johanna I think I speak for everyone in Panem when I say our hearts go out to you."

The crowd is going absolutely wild as I walk away from Caesar to where the other tributes are standing. Katniss does not grab my hand as the anthem plays, she is still shocked by my admission that I would be trying to get her out alive. The screens all show us standing side by side and the space between seems vast compared to earlier in the night when it was bridged by our joined hands.

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><p>Katniss does not say a word as we make our way back to the 12th floor, no one does. When we eat dinner the topic of the interview is avoided, instead Haymitch gives us last minute advice. He reminds us not to let ourselves be tempted by the cornucopia, to get away from everyone and find water. He also cautions us against trying to get to each other instead of running to safety.<p>

"People know you're allies at this point. The Gamemakers will probably not put the two of you next to each other - it would be a mistake to try running towards each other, it's exactly the sort of irrational behavior the other tributes will be looking to take advantage of. Get yourselves to safety separately, you can find each other after you're both safe."

After that we watch the replay in silence, Haymitch makes a face at my admission to Caesar. Finally it is over and we are exchanging short farewells with Haymitch and Effie before being sent to bed. I walk straight towards my room and Katniss is at my heels. She closes the door behind her then turns to look at me, obviously eager to talk about the events of the interview. I have no idea what is going through her head and I decide that I might as well try to explain myself.

"Look, Katniss…"

"Don't. Please just give me a minute."

She walks over to my bed and sits down at the edge, still looking unsure about what to say. I know I threw everyone for a loop with my confession - it's one thing to play tragic lovers cast into the game, but to actually admit to loving her so much that I would sacrifice myself...well that is just insane. I'm sure Haymitch didn't complain because it only supported the image he was trying to have us project and maybe because he also felt bad for me - there was nothing he could do at this point anyway. I think about my family who must have been watching at home and wonder what my mom and Carter are feeling right now. Do they know that Katniss was lying about the secret relationship in District 12? Are they upset with me for having given up on my own survival? Before I can think too much about it Katniss speaks.

"Did you mean what you said to Caesar?"

She looks over to where I am standing in the middle of the room. I could tell her that it was all just part of the plan but that would be a lie and she would know it. Anyway it will be easier to keep her alive if she knows that is the ultimate goal. I walk over to sit next to her as I decide I might as well be completely upfront.

"I will get you out of there alive Katniss. I will die content knowing that you will live and that my family will be taken care of."

"Johanna…" Her voice breaks and I'm not sure if she even planned on saying anything other than my name, but I jump in.

"Please don't feel bad about this. As painful as it is, we have known that only one of us would be able to make it out alive. Now we know which one of us that is. I love you and I cannot bear the thought of you dying, let alone me being the one to kill you. Never in a million years could I lay a hand on you."

Katniss' eyes flash with anger and she pushes away the hand I had placed on her knee as I spoke. She turns away from me as she speaks. "And you think that I could?! You think that I could be the one to shoot an arrow through your heart? Or that it will be easy for me to stand by and watch you die by someone else's hand?"

I scoot closer to her and wrap my arms around her from behind, she stiffens but does not push me away. I rest my chin on her shoulder as I speak in a low voice into her ear, "Of course I don't think that Katniss. I'm being selfish - I don't want to live without you and I know you are strong enough to continue on once I'm gone. I would be useless to both our families if I was the one to live but I know that you would take care of them, you wouldn't let yourself give up."

"I'm not as strong as you think I am," she says as she turns in my arms to face me.

"You're probably stronger," I reply as kiss her on the tip of her nose. "Now can we please stop talking about this? This is not how I want to spend my last night before the games."

I am grateful that she listens, probably because she knows that nothing will come of talking about this. She pulls me to my feet and begins to slowly undress me, starting with my heels and stopping only when I am standing naked in front of her. I take my time doing the same to her, even undoing her braid to let her hair fall around her shoulders. When we are both standing bare we step closer to each other and she kisses me with such tenderness that my heart melts. Our bodies are not touching except one of her hands ghosting along my jaw and our lips that are tentatively sliding against one another. When our tongues meet it is a slow and gentle dance, neither of us battling for dominance but rather just enjoying the taste of the other person.

I pull away from the kiss to trail open-mouthed kisses along her jaw line, tasting the tang of her sweat mixed with the oddly sweet flavor of the Capitol make-up. Katniss walks backwards until she hits the bed, falling onto it and pulling me down on top of her. I settle myself between her legs and our breasts press into each other as we kiss. Her legs wrap around me and I let out a moan as our clits rub against each other. I rock against her in a steady rhythm, letting the friction between us bring both of us closer to release.

I use one of my hands to hold myself steady over her while the other gently massages her breasts. Katniss also has one hand on my breasts, softly tweaking and pinching my nipples. Her other hand is tangled in my hair, keeping me impossibly close as we kiss. She gently rolls us over so that she is in top, thrusting into me as she starts to lavish my neck with kisses. When I feel myself about to climax I pull her towards me for a heated kiss, our tongues gliding against each other as we both come, moaning into each other's mouths.

She continues rocking against me for a few moments after we orgasm and then collapses on top of me, peppering my neck with small kisses. For the next few hours we continue with our tender but passionate lovemaking, knowing that this is the last time we will ever get the chance. As we catch our breath between rounds we talk about everything from our childhood friends to our favorite colors. Neither of us are able to sleep nor do we want to. We take advantage of every last minute we have with each other. By dawn we are both drenched in sweat and the scent of sex permeates the room. Katniss and I lay with our limbs entangled, alternating between exchanging whispered words and fleeting kisses.

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><p><strong>The love scenes are definitely not my strong suit but I am trying to work on it (I started another fic expressly for that purpose). Any and all feedback is appreciated.<strong>


	9. Stupid

****Trigger Warning** The last part of this chapter deals with sexual assault. I will put a warning before that section starts. If you choose to skip it you will still be able to follow the story but there probably will be references to it in later chapters as well.**

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><p>In the morning Cinna and Portia show up at my door, handing both of us simple shifts and letting us know we will be taking separate hovercrafts. They give us a few minutes of privacy to say goodbye. I have no idea what to say so I just pull Katniss in for a kiss that I hope conveys all my emotions. She leans her forehead against mine as her grey eyes bore into mine. When she speaks her voice is cracking with emotion.<p>

"I love you. I don't want to die never having told you that."

My heart skips at hearing her say those words to me, but then I frown at her second statement. Did she not understand what I said yesterday? Does she think I won't keep my word?

"I love you too. And I won't let you die."

"I don't like the idea of us being separated at the arena."

"Neither do I but Haymitch is right, we can't take any risks to get to each other." I pull my wooden bracelet off my wrist. "Here, I want you to have this to take with you into the arena." I told her about the bracelet just last night so she knows what it means to me and for a second she hesitates. "Please Katniss, I like the idea of you having something of mine in there."

She nods and tells me to wait as she runs out to talk to Cinna for a second. When she comes back she is holding a gold mockingjay pin that I vaguely remember her wearing on the train after the reaping. She presses it into my hand as she gives me one last kiss. When we stop kissing she doesn't pull away, instead she mumbles against my lips.

"Don't do anything stupid in there."

I know what she really means is for me not to do anything stupid to protect her but that is probably the only reason I would do anything stupid so it's pretty pointless of her to say that. Instead of telling her that I pull away and nod before pulling her in for a hug. Portia appears in the doorway to tell me we need to leave. Cinna walks into my room to speak with Katniss as I follow Portia out and onto the roof where a hovercraft is waiting to take me to the arena.

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><p>I've been in the arena for almost two days and it is safe to say that I am about to do something incredibly stupid. I have been tracking the Career pack for the better part of the evening. One of them, the girl from four, was able to get a belt full of knives from the Cornucopia and I want it. So far all I have been doing is trying to stay alive and look for Katniss but almost half the tributes are dead and I need to start taking the remaining ones out to be sure that Katniss makes it out of here alive. I figure if I follow them for long enough I should be able to either catch the girl alone or sneak in and grab it while they sleep. Just as I am trying to figure out what to do the four of them spot a tribute in the distance and run after whoever it is. Lucky for me the girl with my knives is slower than her peers and I see my opportunity.<p>

All I have right now is a small axe that I picked up along with a backpack before running away from the Cornucopia. I have practiced throwing it at trees to get used to the weight and feel of it, but I didn't practice too much for fear of attracting attention. As I run silently behind the girl the other Careers round a corner and I have the perfect window. I let the axe fly from my hand and luckily it lodges itself in her head and kills her before she can scream. A cannon goes off. I quickly run up to her and relieve her of the knives she has as a few pouches that are attached to her belt. I hear screams and realize the Careers must have caught up with the other tribute. Another cannon goes off and I quickly run the other direction before they have a chance to double back and discover me.

After I have the belt I am much more at ease - there are 13 knives of varying lengths hanging from the belt. There are only two empty spaces, the girl must not have gotten many chances to use the knives. Or maybe she did but she just didn't know how to use them well. I think about Katniss and hope she was able to get her hands on a bow. She is alright with knives but deadly with a bow, and right now she needs to be deadly. The sun is going down fast so I quickly climb a tree to settle in for the night. It is a little tougher with the knives but I am pretty good at climbing trees and manage to get fairly high up. I fall asleep sitting up with the belt of knives still around me in case I wake up to danger.

I am awoken by the fanfare that precedes the display of fallen tributes in the sky. I felt like I heard a lot of cannons today so I pay close attention to see who is gone. The female tributes from Districts 4, 6, and 11. Both tributes from District 5 and District 1. I just saw the ones from Two a couple hours ago, but more than a few cannons have gone off since then so I guess it makes sense. I wonder if they were killed by the other Careers or if someone else got to them. I think about who that leaves: Both the tributes from District 2, the boys from District 4 and 6, and the girl from District 7. Plus Katniss and I. I decide that tomorrow I will work to track down the boy from Six and the girl from Seven, they are both likely by themselves and should be easier to deal with than the Careers.

The night passes without incident and in the morning I have some berries for breakfast as well as a pack of nuts that had been in the backpack I found. So far Haymitch and Effie have not come through with a single sponsor but considering I haven't been doing much I can't complain. I do hope they have been able to get sponsors for Katniss though. It isn't long before I am able to track down the girl from Seven and I kill her quickly, retrieving my knife along with her backpack before the hovercraft picks her up. I am frustrated that it isn't this easy to find Katniss but at the same time I know I should be glad because it means Katniss is better at hiding herself. I empty the contents of the other backpack into my own without stopping to look, I figure I should get away from this spot quickly since the hovercraft will have given the Careers an idea of where I am.

I have been walking for a few hours when I think I hear a sound to my right. I freeze and reach for a knife but after a few seconds I don't hear anything. I walk forward slowly, my hand hover over the knives, and keep my eyes focused on the spot where I thought the noise came from when all of a sudden I feel something tug on my leg and I am hanging upside down. I curse as I realize that I my right ankle is caught in some rope and my knives have all fallen out of the belt and are out of my reach. Before I can figure out what to do I hear footsteps coming towards me from behind and I prepare myself for what's to come.

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><p><strong>**Trigger Warning** (The rest of this chapter contains a sexual assault scene)<strong>

The rope cuts into my wrists as the boy from District 6 tightens them to make sure they are secure. He has moved all my knives off to the side along with my backpack and some of his things. At this point it's obvious that he is not planning on killing me immediately and I sincerely wish that he would because I have a feeling whatever he does instead is going to be painful and still end in my death. Once he is sure my wrists are tied securely behind my back he ties my ankles together as well and then cuts me down from his trap. I try to get to my feet but it is hard without being able to use my hands and having my ankles tied together. The boy pushes me down when he sees what I'm trying to do and then he speaks for the first time.

"I have been waiting for you for a while Johanna." The way he says my name creeps me out and I shudder. "I am a little hurt that you're in such a hurry to get away from me."

He walks over to the pile of knives and grabs a short one with a slightly curved blade. He grins as he walks back towards me, twirling the knife in his hand. He straddles my knees so that I cannot move my legs. When he brings the knife to my face I think for a second that he is going to slit my throat but instead he strokes my cheek with the flat part of the blade.

"If things were different Johanna I would take my time with you. I have had many girls like you...they pretend they don't like me but I know the truth. You're all dirty little sluts just waiting for me to take you by force. To fuck you while you are tied up and screaming for help. I have dealt with plenty of whores just like you and the moment I saw you what you were. When put on that show in the elevator you proved that. You are a dirty slut just begging to be fucked hard. Unfortunately here in the arena we don't have time for all the usual games. But don't worry, I'll still give you a good pounding."

I look at him in horror as I realize this boy is a serial rapist and an insane one at that. Why the hell did the Capitol let him in here? I suppose they didn't have a choice once he was reaped but I know they sure as hell won't let him win. I take solace in the fact that I will likely be his last victim and try to focus on that instead of what he is about to do. Since I can't fight him I try to talk him out of it even though the crazed look in his eye has me thinking that he won't really be the type to listen to reason.

"I sure as hell don't want this and you really can't afford to be taking the time to do this right now. The Careers were following me, they could be here any minute. Plus the Capitol doesn't like rapists - if you do this and win they'll probably lock you up. This is stupid idea, I'm not worth it. You should just kill me and move on."

He pulls the knife away from my face and cuts my shirt right off my body, followed by my bra. He stuffs the bra in my mouth so I can't make any more noise and grins wickedly as he roughly gropes my breasts, squeezing them so hard it is painful. I hope that my mom and Carter are not watching, I can't bear the thought of them having to see any of this. He rips off my belt and lifts up his body to tug my pants down until they are around my ankles. After he settles back on top of my knees runs the knife up along my thigh, this time it is the sharp part and I can feel it slicing into my skin as he drags it all the way up to where I am covered by the simple Capitol undergarments. He slices the undergarment right off me as well and exposes me to him completely. He runs the knife along my slit but not hard enough to draw blood. I feel tears start to run down my face and he bends down to lick one off my cheek, roughly tweaking one of my nipples as he does it. When I see him start to unbuckle his own pants I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to focus on anything but the feeling of his weight shifting on top of me.

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><p><strong>Sorry for how long this update took - I was putting off writing this last part : The next update will hopefully be a bit quicker than this one.**


	10. Together

**I tried to get this update out quickly because I didn't want to leave y'all on the last chapter. I fixed an error in the previous chapter - District 1 Tributes were supposed to have died, District 2 tributes are still alive. Thanks to Johanna's Motivational Insults for pointing that and another error out.**

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><p>Instead of feeling his weight shift forward I feel him slide off of me as I hear a weird gurgling sound. I can still feel one of his legs on top of my own, twitching slightly. I open my eyes to see him lying in the grass at an awkward angle, clutching at an arrow in his throat with a look of fear in his eyes. I look over to where the arrow must have come from and I see Katniss running towards me with a bow in her hand. Her face is red and I can tell that this time it is from anger. As I get a look at her eyes I realize she is beyond angry, she is furious. When she reaches me she kicks his leg off of me and kneels down next to me, her eyes softening slightly as she sees me looking back at her. She pulls the balled up bra out of my mouth and I gasp for air. Her next move is to grab the knife from where the boy dropped it and untie my hands. She hands it to me as she looks at him where he is laying in the grass, body contorted in pain as his hands weakly grasp at the shaft of the arrow. I am surprised he is still alive and I don't hesitate before leaning forward and jamming the knife through his eye. He twitches a few times before he stops moving completely and I hear the sound of a cannon.<p>

Katniss doesn't waste any time in untying my legs and I am incredibly grateful for that. She eyes the blood on my thigh, grabbing the remnants of my shirt to wrap the deepest part of my cut before helping me pull my pants up. She goes to grab the shirt off of the boys body but I shake my head, I'd rather go through the rest of the game topless than wearing a constant reminder of what just happened. Katniss drops her bow and quiver. She takes off her own shirt and pulls it over me in an incredibly gentle gesture. She grabs all of my stuff and helps me up, putting one arm around my back to help me walk away from the area as a hovercraft arrives to get the boy's body.

Katniss and I walk for a while and I can tell by the purpose with which she is leading that she has a specific destination in mind. She ends up leading me to a cave - the small entrance has been covered with tree branches that she quickly moves aside so that I can enter. There is a small space inside and I see a backpack and sleeping bag in one corner. She leads me over to a slightly sloped area of the cave and helps me sit down. She walks over to her backpack and grabs her jacket, a knife, and a flask. She comes back to kneel next to me and when she speaks for the first time her voice is gentle.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your cut?"

I nod silently and unbutton my pants, but I can't pull them down myself. I struggle for a second before looking to Katniss for help and she nods but doesn't immediately start helping me. Instead she gets up and walks out of my line of view. I hear her rustling around and after a few minutes she reappears in front to me with her underwear in her hand. She notices that I'm staring at it in confusion and explains.

"It'll keep you covered while I tend to your cut. Sorry I don't have anything else."

She gently lays the jacket over my lap before reaching under it to slowly pull my pants off. I raise my hips so that she is able to slide them down to my ankles. She has to stop to pull off my boots before completely taking them off, leaving me completely bare. Then she gently slides the underwear she just took off up my legs. I find myself chuckling darkly at the effort she is going through to protect my modesty. At this point it's nothing the entire population of Panem hasn't already seen. She gives me a worried look when she hears the sound but does not say anything.

She pulls away the jacket and starts cutting it into strips for a bandage. Then she removes the ripped shirt that she had hastily tied around my leg, I notice it is already soaked through with blood. She pours water from the canteen over my leg and then uses a strip of material from the jacket to clean and dry my cut. Afterwards she carefully bandages my leg with the material that is left and then pulls my pants back on for me. There is a sound at the cave opening as she is buttoning them up and she puts her fingers to her lips to indicate that I should be silent.

She grabs her bow and the quiver, pulling an arrow out as she creeps towards the branches covering the opening. She pulls a branch to the side slowly and peeks around, letting out a sigh of relief as her gaze falls on something. She steps out of the cave and returns a moment later with a pot that has a silver parachute hanging from it. She comes and sits down beside me, opening it to show me what looks like beef stew.

"Haymitch sent you some food."

"He sent you some food. I'm not hungry."

It is not a lie, I do not feel like I could eat right now. These are the first words I have spoken since Katniss rescued me and I can tell she is not pleased by them. She puts the pot down beside her and slowly reaches out to stroke my cheek. I can tell she is being extra careful about touching me because of what happened with that boy. I put my hand over hers, stilling her hand against my cheek. I use my other hand to guide her head to mine and pull her in for a kiss. Her lips move against mine tentatively so I push into her, deepening the kiss. I try to tell her everything with this kiss that I cannot say to her right now. How happy I am to see her and how thankful I am to her for stopping that boy. Most importantly I want her to feel how much I love her and to understand that nothing could happen to make me uncomfortable with her. When we pull away I do manage to find words.

"Thank you for showing up when you did Katniss. I was ready to go out, but not like that."

"I'm sorry I didn't show up earlier. If there weren't others out there his death would not have been so quick."

Her eyes flash with fire and I shudder to think what she would have done to him in different circumstances. He would have deserved whatever she could think to do. I don't like the idea of her apologizing for anything about this situation because an apology implies a certain amount of responsibility. Katniss is not responsible in any way and I don't want her to live with even the slightest bit of guilt about what happened.

"Don't apologize for that, the only person responsible for what happened was that boy."

We sit in silence for a minute before Katniss remembers the food and picks it back up. I agree to eat as long as she does too and I watch her carefully to make sure she eats just as much as me. It has gotten dark out and soon we hear the fanfare so Katniss walks outside the cave to see who is left. When she walks back in her face looks grim.

"Only Cato and Clove."

I try to place the two names and it takes me a while before I recognize them. The boy and the girl from 2, Careers. They will be looking for us and Katniss and I will have to play it smart to kill them both. I yawn and Katniss leads me to the sleeping bag, letting me know she will take first watch. I notice her shiver and I realize that she must be freezing. I had forgotten she wasn't wearing a shirt and I curse myself for being too emotional to take the boy's clothes. I take off her shirt and hold it out to her.

"I'll be warm in the sleeping bag," I say when it looks like she is about to refuse. "If the Careers show up and you're an icicle we'll both die."

She nods and takes her shirt back, slipping it on quickly. I feel bad letting her take the first watch but I am still feeling faint from the blood loss and would be useless right now. It does not take long for me to drift off to sleep.

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><p>When I wake up Katniss is nudging me and has a hand over my mouth. My eyes shoot open and I nod at her to show that I understand what is happening. She must have heard Cato and Clove nearby. She helps me out of the sleeping bag as quietly as possible and hands me a couple knives, both of us are afraid to move the belt for fear of making too much noise. We both sit in silence and I hear them come closer to the cave's entrance. We both hold our breath as they walk by and miraculously they don't notice the cave. When their footsteps start to fade Katniss scrambles to her feet.<p>

"Stay here, this could be the best chance to get them."

I don't protest as she grabs a knife to put in her boot and then heads out with her bow and quiver. The second she is out of the cave I jump up and grab the belt of knives, slipping it on and following her out the door. My leg is throbbing but I force myself to push past the pain to follow her and make sure she stays safe. I hear someone shout and see Katniss quickly pull an arrow out and shoot. They must have spotted her, but a cannon sounds and I know her shot took one of them out. I run towards her, ignoring the almost unbearable pain in my leg as I see Cato lunging for her while she struggles to get another arrow out of her quiver. My knife flies out of my hand and lodges itself in his head just as he gets his hands around her throat. His momentum causes Katniss to fall backwards with his body on top of her but a cannon sounds and I know she is safe.

She pushes him off of her and stands up, looking over at me. I sank to the ground after I knew she was safe and am trying to catch my breath as I feel my leg growing sticky with blood. Katniss runs over and sits on the ground next to me, worriedly looking at my leg. I follow her gaze and see that the blood has seeped through my pants and turned them dark. We are the only ones left now and I am not sure if Katniss has the strength to kill me. I'm not sure I want her to be the one to do it anyway.

I try to be quick about taking out a knife and plunging it into my heart but I have lost a lot of blood and can't do it fast enough. Katniss grabs my arm before the knife reaches my chest and disarms me, tackling me to the ground for good measure.

"What are you doing?!"

"Only one person can leave this arena alive Katniss," I gasp out. She knocked the wind out of me when she tackled me. "I told you before we got here that I would make sure that you were that person."

At this point I am too weak to stop her when she takes my belt of knives from me and throws it far away from the two of us, followed by her quiver of arrows and her bow. She even discards the knife that was in her boot. Then she sits up, leaning against a nearby rock and pulling my head into her lap.

"I won't leave here without you, Johanna. There's no one left to make me." Her voice has a dangerous edge to it.

"I'm going to bleed out in under an hour, brainless. You'll have to leave without me anyway. I was just moving things along."

She glances down to see my pants soaked in blood and I see the resignation in her eyes as she recognizes the truth of my statement. After a beat she pulls a pouch out of her pockets and empties the contents into her hands. I try to lift myself up onto my elbows to see what is in her hand but I can't do it. She notices my struggle and tilts her hand so that I can see the berries she is holding. I recognize them in an instant. Nightlock.

"I won't leave here without you."

She repeats this in a much softer voice but I'm sure the cameras are picking it up anyway. I try to sit up again and this time she helps me, moving us so we're both sitting side by side, leaning against the rock. I look into her eyes and see nothing but steel and fire. I sigh, realizing that there is no way to talk her out of this now. I hold my hand out for some berries.

"We'll do it together."

She nods and pours half of them into my hand. I wonder what will happen after we do this. The twisted people in the Capitol will probably be disappointed but end up finding the whole thing terribly romantic. The Gamemakers will probably die for allowing this to happen. The people in the districts may be angry but they never get angry enough to actually do anything. Life in Panem will likely be the same without us.

Katniss uses her empty hand to grab my face and pull me in for one last kiss. It is deep and desperate as we each try to convey the love we have for each other through our lips and our tongues. Finally we pull apart, breathless.

"I love you," she whispers.

"Kinda obvious at this point, brainless." We both smile despite the situation and because I don't want those to be my last words to her I continue. "I love you too."

We stare into each others eyes as we bring the berries closer to our lips and just they are about to pass into our mouths we are interrupted.

"Stop! STOP! Ladies and Gentleman for the first time in Hunger Games history I am pleased to present the_ two_ victors of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, Johanna Mason and Katniss Everdeen - tributes of District 12."


	11. Safe

**Special thanks to _Johanna's Motivational Insults_ for stepping up to beta.**

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><p>Everything happens so quickly after they announce the winners. A hovercraft shows up, sending a ladder down for each of us. I am too weak to stand, let alone reach the ladder, but Katniss carries me and manages to climb onto it with me in her arms. The second she is on it and I grab hold of a rung the electric current freezes both of us in place as the ladders are pulled up into the hovercraft. When we get inside I notice all sorts of medical equipment around me, I guess it makes sense to be prepared to have an injured victor come aboard - most victors are in rough shape by the time they are pulled out of the arena and it wouldn't do to have the Victor die on the way back to the Capitol. The last thing I remember before blacking out is Katniss being dragged away from me, kicking and screaming my name.<p>

When I wake up I am in a different room, with restraints around my waist keeping me tied to the bed. I glance around the room and see no signs of Katniss but before I can start trying to figure out how to escape a nurse comes into the room with a tray of food. I grab her wrist as she places the tray in front of me.

"Where is Katniss?"

"She is safe and being taken care of somewhere else."

I ask to be taken to her but the nurse ignores me as she leaves the room. The meal she left me is nothing more than thin broth and when I finish eating it I am injected with a sedative through the tube in my arm and fall back asleep. After a couple days of this I finally wake up to find the restraint gone and Portia standing beside my bed. I hop out of bed and hug her, glad to see a familiar face and especially happy that it is Portia. She explains that my reunion with Katniss will be live and we need to go get ready for it. I follow her immediately, eager to get to the ceremony so that I can see Katniss. When I strip for the prep team I notice that my leg is completely healed and there is no scar, in fact all my scars and blemishes are gone - my skin is flawless. I hate it. I am also much skinnier and Portia tells me the Gamemakers wanted Katniss and I surgically altered to fill us out but Haymitch would not allow it.

The dress Portia has for me is light orange and much more modest than the one from my first interview, reaching down to my knees. When I move the dress shimmers and I realize they are still going with the fire theme, just a bit more subtle. Effie comes in when I am dressed and she hugs me, saying something that is unintelligible over her sobs. Portia shoos her away so that she doesn't get tears all over my dress and the two of us head to the platform below the stage from where I will be rising. Haymitch is there when we arrive and he looks more sober than usual.

"Looks like I was wrong."

Immediately I know that he is referring to his opposition to my relationship with Katniss, after all if it weren't for that we both wouldn't have made it out alive. It is probably the closest he'll get to apologizing or voicing his acceptance for our relationship and I nod gratefully at him before he reaches in for a hug. I find that highly out of character for Haymitch but once his face is buried in my hair he starts whispering.

"When you see Katniss ignore everyone else and pretend like it's just the two of you. I know that you love her and when you are on that stage you can't be shy about showing it. I'll explain later but just don't hold back with her while you're out there."

He pulls away from me and walks away, presumably towards where Katniss is. It takes all my willpower not to follow him. I don't really understand his orders but I know I'll follow them, mainly because I was never planning on being shy about showing Katniss how glad I am that she is alive and safe. I haven't seen her in days and I am not holding back no matter who is watching. I can barely concentrate during the introductions of the rest of our team, all I can think about is seeing Katniss. Finally my platform starts to rise and I hear applause as I emerge on stage but I ignore all of it as my eyes search for Katniss. She is standing a few yards away wearing a light yellow dress that shimmers like a candle and when our eyes meet it is as if nothing else exists.

We both run towards each other and I barely manage to stay standing when she jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist while her arms encircle my neck. I place my hands on her hips to hold her against me as our lips meet in a passionate kiss. As my tongue explores her mouth, savoring the taste of plums, I feel my cheeks growing damp with tears of joy at being reunited with Katniss. There is a roaring sound in the background but I ignore it as I continue to kiss Katniss as though we haven't seen each other for years. Finally we both pull away for air and as she leans her forehead against mine, looking deep into my eyes, we smile at each other. She unwraps her legs from my waist and I steady her as she places her feet back on the ground. Her face is also wet with tears and I reach a hand out to wipe one from her cheek. She grabs my hand before I move it away from her face, bringing it to her mouth and kissing my palm. I decide I've had enough of breathing anything other than Katniss and I pull her face towards me to rejoin our lips. I run my hands over her arms and back as I kiss her, just to reassure myself that she is really there in front of me. She does the same to me and I feel like my body is on fire wherever her hands touch me. I register someone trying to separate us but Katniss and I both reach out to shove the person away. The roaring in the background intensifies but I pay no attention to it as I lose myself in Katniss' mouth.

I have no idea how long this goes on before Haymitch is finally able to get through to us during one of the times we come up for air. He pushes the two of us towards a red couch that has been set up for us and as we walk towards it I notice that the roaring sound is the crowd going absolutely wild. Fuck them. I sit at the edge of the couch closest to Caesar's chair and Katniss immediately sits in my lap, balancing herself on one of my legs and wrapping her arms around my shoulders. She feels light and I think she may have lost more weight than I did in the arena. As I put one arm around her waist and use my other hand to gently caress her leg I wonder if Haymitch had the same conversation with her.

Caesar makes a couple jokes about our reunion and then the lights dim for the three hour recap. I don't really pay attention during the first part as I am too preoccupied with enjoying the feeling of holding Katniss in my arms however as the Games start I watch intently as they show what happened to the other tributes, including Katniss and I. I am not featured too much as all I did in the beginning was avoid the other tributes and search for Katniss. Katniss saw a lot more action in those days and I watch as the video shows her attacking careers with tracker jackers, running from fireballs, and allying with the tiny girl from District 11. I see a tear run down Katniss' cheek as she watches the girl die while the sound of her singing comes through the speakers. I pull her further into me and squeeze her thigh to comfort her. Soon they show me killing the girl from Four and my grip on Katniss tightens in anticipation of what is coming next.

Katniss feels me tense and must realize what is about to happen because she slides off of my lap, positioning herself to sit behind me with her legs spread out so I can sit between them. She holds me close to her, resting both her hands on my stomach. When the video shows the boy start to cut open my clothes I turn my head and bury it in her neck, unable to watch. She moves one of her hands away from my stomach to stroke my hair in a soothing gesture but I can feel her entire body trembling with rage. I turn around when I hear the crowd cheer, knowing this must be when she shows up. The rest of the video goes by fast and before I know it they are showing the two of us in the hovercraft, me being put onto a gurney as she is dragged away screaming my name, someone sticking a needle in her arm to sedate her as the screen goes black.

After the video ends President Snow comes out to present us both with crowns. He puts mine on first, smiling at me as I try not to grimace at the smell of blood and roses when he comes close to my face. I watch as he moves towards Katniss and notice that his eyes harden as he leans in to put the crown on her head. My grip on her hand tightens as I get an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach although I don't quite understand what is going on. What reason does Snow have to be angry at Katniss and not me?

Before I can think too much about it we are being taken to Snow's mansion for the Victory Banquet. Katniss and I cling to each other as we are bombarded by people from the Capitol who want pictures with us. Haymitch warned both of us to be on our best behaviour while we were on our way here so we smile and laugh and make small talk with the people who approach us. All I really want to do is spit in their faces and go back to District 12 with Katniss. Katniss' hand in mine keeps me grounded and I manage not to do or say anything stupid.

Before long we are making our way back to the Training Center to get some rest before our interviews tomorrow. When we get back to our quarters Haymitch has us each take a vial of mild sleep syrup to ensure we are able to get uninterrupted sleep. He assures us it is milder than what we were being sedated with right after the Games but that we probably won't be able to sleep restfully without it. Effie and Haymitch don't say anything as Katniss and I head for the same room, in fact I think I see a hint of a smile on Effie's face before I close the door. The second the door shuts Katniss has me pushed up against it, her body pressing into me as she softly kisses me.

"I've missed you. I was so worried...I broke out of my restraints twice to come looking for you. I just couldn't handle being separated from you, I was inconsolable."

She whispers this against my mouth and my heart aches at the thought of her being in distress. Before I can reply she is kissing me again and I know that being able to touch me like this is probably calming her more than anything I could say. After a few minutes of chaste kisses we both start to undress for bed, slipping under the covers and immediately coming together to hold each other. She lays her head on my shoulder and I feel one of her thighs slip between my legs as she settles into me. Although we are naked and have left very little space between our bodies there is nothing sexual about our contact. The feeling of her bare skin pressed against mine simply serves to constantly reassure me that this is real, that we are both safe and that we have each other. I feel her press a kiss against my bare shoulder as we both drift off to sleep.


	12. Twelve

**Again I'd like to give a shout out to my beta,_ Johanna's Motivational Insults (who BTW is writing an amazing Joniss fic that you should check out if you haven't already)._  
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><p>The next morning when Cinna, Portia, and our prep teams arrive they let us stay in the same room as they get us ready for the interview. Right now the thought of being separated from Katniss for even a moment is terrifying and by the look of relief in her eyes when they agree to prep us together she probably has similar feelings. When we step out of the room we are greeted warmly by Caesar Flickerman as he leads us to sit on a couch in front of where the cameras have been set up. Katniss curls into me the second we are sitting down and when we start the interview she lets me do most of the talking.<p>

The interview is fairly standard as he asks us about our time in the arena and whatever the audience might be interested in. He asks about the first time we saw each other and I make something up about bumping into each other at school since I figure it would be in bad form to mention our illegal hunting activities. Thankfully Caesar does not talk about the attempted rape, glossing over it besides for vaguely mentioning Katniss rescuing me. As the interview is winding to a close he leans forward, obviously prepared to ask an important question.

"Katniss, Johanna told us before the Games that she would be willing to die for you so I understand her actions. I am curious, what was going on in your head when you heard her say that? And what made you decide to pull out those berries?"

"When Johanna mentioned that I was still trying to avoid thinking about it. I figured it was pointless to dwell on it when at the moment we couldn't be sure either of us would live past the first hour in the arena, let alone both make it to the end. When I shot the boy from 6 I was too far away to know for sure that she was still alive and the thought terrified me. When I saw her looking back at me the relief I felt was…"

She trails off, a tear running down her cheek. She places her hand on my thigh and buries her face in my hair, breathing in my scent before she continues.

"I knew in that moment that leaving the arena without her was not, and really never had been, an option. Neither of us could live without each other and the berries were a way we wouldn't have to."

"Johanna, do you have anything to add to that?"

I shake my head and Caesar signs off. Everyone that was watching seems super emotional and I see Haymitch nodding to himself in approval, though I'm not sure at what. Katniss and I are given some time to collect our belongings, which really just consists of our tokens, and Katniss is already wearing the bracelet. We say a quick goodbye to Cinna and Portia and then we are escorted to car that will drive us to the train waiting to take us home.

When we stop to refuel Haymitch leads me and Katniss outside, walking us to the back of the train and into a grassy field to the left of the tracks. He looks around and then starts speaking to us in a low voice.

"You made the Capitol look like fools when you pulled out those berries, Katniss. The Capitol is not happy, Seneca Crane is already dead. You two are going to need to be incredibly careful not to antagonize Snow any further."

He walks away before either of us can reply and I try to process his words. Seneca Crane was the head Gamemaker, I'm assuming he died for allowing us to do what we did. I realize that Snow looked angry when he was in front of Katniss and not me because she is the one who pulled out the berries. Even if I was about to take them it was Katniss' idea, I would have died even without the berries. Katniss is the one that made it so they had to proclaim two victors or else risk the anger of the Districts at not having any. I can understand how simply forcing them to do that would provoke Snow's anger - we are both living proof that you can work around the system. Before I can follow the train of thought any further Katniss grabs my hand and pulls me back towards the train. Effie is standing at the doors gesturing for us to hurry.

The rest of the train ride is uneventful, Katniss and I spend it cuddled up on one of the couches. We have barely spoken to each other since leaving the arena, in fact I think most of what either of us has spoken has been for the camera. We don't need any words right now, all we need is to hold each other. I wonder if my need to have Katniss close by will ever go away and I doubt it. After the arena I never want to let her out of my sight and the way she is clinging to me I can tell she feels the same. When we finally arrive in District 12 I can see through the window that the platform is full of reporters with cameras and microphones. I grab Katniss' hand and take a deep breath before we walk out to meet them.

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><p>I take a second to look behind me as I run through the forest and although I see only trees I am sure she is not far behind me. When I turn back to look ahead I am too late to stop myself from being clotheslined by the shape that popped up in front of me while I was distracted. I fall backwards into the grass, my assailant following me to the ground to straddle me and pin my arms above my head. Katniss shifts so that she is holding my arms down with just one hand at my wrists, her other hand moving to my face to rub a bit of dirt off my face, leaving her hand there to caress my cheek when she's done.<p>

"Gotcha," she smirks.

"You had an unfair advantage," I know I'm pouting as I say this and Katniss' smirk turns into a full-blown smile as she notices me eyeing her chest.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"You're wearing less clothes than me."

It's true. Occasionally our hunting trips turn into this - us chasing each other around, ripping each other's clothes off and making out like horny teenagers before taking off again. The loser is the person who ends up on their back first, stripping clothes off along the way just makes it more fun. We both lost our jackets and shirts a while back but ten minutes ago we had encounter that left Katniss completely topless while I am still wearing my bra. Currently I am distracted by the sight of Katniss' unencumbered breasts looming over me.

"Barely," she replies. "And how is that an advantage? It's not like I could distract you, you couldn't see me."

"No, you couldn't distract me. But without a bra you were lighter and could run faster." Katniss raises an eyebrow at me and I sigh in defeat. "Okay that's bullshit, you got me."

"As long as we're clear," Katniss murmurs before leaning down to capture my lips between her own.

I will never get used to how wonderful it feels to have Katniss' soft lips gliding against my own as her tongue gently probes my mouth. Her hand moves from where it had been resting at my cheek and I feel her undoing my bra. Usually when our little game is over we manage to gather our clothes and go home before ravishing each other but it seems like today is not going to be one of those days. I don't really mind, it's Katniss who usually prefers to have sex indoors but on occasion she gets too turned on to care. Judging by how her nipples were standing erect before she leaned down to kiss me she has definitely reached that point. It takes me another second to register that my hands are free since both of her hands are now at my chest and when I figure it out I immediately reach for her stiff nipples.

For quite a while we continue to make out while playing with each others breasts but eventually Katniss pulls away, standing up and pulling me upright along with her. She backs me into a tree, the rough bark scratching into my back as she starts kissing my neck. I feel her unbutton my trousers and slips her hand down them, the tight space making her hand press against me as she tries to find her target. It doesn't take long before she does and she begins to rub the small bundle of nerves with her thumb. I am more than a little aroused by the dexterity with which she manages to shift her hand to enter me with two fingers while keeping her thumb on my clit. It takes a bit of maneuvering but I manage to unbutton her trousers, pulling them down to her knees along with her panties before starting to touch her.

I enjoy when Katniss and I fight for dominance and, because we are so evenly matched, essentially end up taking turns bringing the other to release. However I have come to enjoy this even more, both of us touching each other at the same time and reaching climax together. I use my free hand to pull Katniss away from my neck so that I can join our lips in a fiery kiss as we both continue to pump our fingers inside each other. I feel Katniss' walls tighten around my fingers and that pushes me over the edge, both of us moaning into our kiss as waves of pleasure crash over us.

I smile at the feeling of Katniss' slightly slick fingers interlacing with mine once she is finished pulling up her pants. We walk through the forest silently as we scan the area for the clothing we discarded earlier. The walk home is silent, neither of us needing anything more from each other than the comfort of our clasped hands. As we walk I contemplate what the odds were that any of this - the two of us volunteering, falling in love, both of us winning and coming back to District 12 together - would happen. I'd say they were pretty much impossible but here we are.

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><p><strong>The end.<strong>

**Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and/or following. You all are amazing.**


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